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The Bell P-76 was the proposed designation for a production model derivative of the XP-39E, a single-engine United States fighter aircraft prototype of World War II.
On 26 February 1941 the USAAC placed a contract with Bell allowing for the purchase of two XP-39Es (41-19501 and 41-19502) which were envisaged to be a major improvement on the P-39D series. Because of the number of changes proposed the production model was to be called the Bell P-76.
The Bell P-76 was proposed to address the poor high-altitude performance of the P-39 Airacobra by incorporating a new and thicker wing with a symmetrical airfoil; the section chosen was NACA 0018 at the wing-root tapering to an NACA 23009 at the tip. Although the new wing has often been referred to as a laminar flow type, this was not the case.[1] The wing span was increased to 35 ft 10 in (10.9 m) and the area to 236 ft² (21.9 m²), the thicker wing allowing an increase in the fuel capacity to 150 US gallons (568 l).[2]
Design of a new Allison V-1710-E9 was also underway. This version, which had the military designation of V-1710-47, used a two-stage mechanical supercharger to increase the engine power at altitude. However, this engine went through so many design changes that it ended up being almost identical to the later V-1710-93 which was fitted in the XP-63A.[2]
Another change was the engine bay was modified to accept a more powerful engine in lieu of the V-1710. Its origins lie in the 1941 project to equip three P-39D (41-19501, 41-19502 and 42-7164) with the Continental V-1430-1 liquid-cooled supercharged engine. The resultant XP-39E had a symmetrical airfoil wing with square wingtips, an elongated fuselage to accommodate the larger engine, and revised air intakes and radiators. The three prototypes each had a different tailfin. Since the Continental engine was not available at rollout, the prototypes flew with Allison V-1710-47 engines. In 1942, the XP-39E was redesignated XP-76. Although 4,000 aircraft were initially ordered, the order was cancelled to permit the Bell factory to manufacture B-29 Superfortress bomber aircraft under license from Boeing. Many of the lessons learned in the XP-76 were implemented in the subsequent Bell P-63 Kingcobra.
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United States Army, United States Department of Defense, United States Marine Corps, United States Navy, United States Coast Guard
Cold War, Battle of Stalingrad, Nazi Germany, Battle of the Atlantic, Second Sino-Japanese War
Curtiss Falcon, Curtiss P-1 Hawk, Travel Air 2000, Naval Aircraft Factory TS, Curtiss P-60
Royal Air Force, Supermarine Spitfire, Hawker Hurricane, Messerschmitt Bf 109, North American P-51 Mustang
Bell P-39 Airacobra, Bell P-63 Kingcobra, Consolidated P-30, Bell 204/205, Bell Aircraft
Bell P-39 Airacobra, Bell P-63 Kingcobra, Bell 204/205, Bell 222, Bell YFM-1 Airacuda
Bell P-39 Airacobra, Bell Aircraft, Bell P-63 Kingcobra, Bell 204/205, Bell YFM-1 Airacuda
Bell P-39 Airacobra, Bell P-63 Kingcobra, Bell 204/205, Bell YFM-1 Airacuda, Bell P-59 Airacomet
Bell P-39 Airacobra, Bell P-63 Kingcobra, Bell 204/205, AgustaWestland, Bell 206